title: Oral pilocarpine HCl stimulates labial (minor) salivary gland flow in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: Pilocarpine HCl has been shown to stimulate parotid and submandibular gland salivary flow. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this cholinergic-muscarinic drug also stimulates labial (minor) salivary gland (LSG) flow and to relate that with whole unstimulated salivary (WUS) flow rates. Subjects diagnosed with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS-1; n = 9) or secondary Sjögren's syndrome (SS-2; n = 9) were enrolled in this study after meeting stringent enrollment criteria. An age-gender matched control group was also enrolled. The labial saliva was collected in a standardized manner on Periopaper for 5 min and the volume was analysed by the Periotron. Whole unstimulated salivary samples were collected for 5 min by the method of Mandel and Wotman (1976). Each subject was dosed with pilocarpine HCl (5 mg; tablets; p.o.). After 60 min the LSG flow as well as the WUS flow was determined again as previously. The results indicated a significant (> 180%) increase in both labial salivary gland flow as well as whole salivary flow in the SS-1 and SS-2 subjects (mean +/- s.e.m.): [SS-1: WUS = 0.1080 +/- 0.03 vs 0.2242 +/- 0.03 ml per 5 min; LSG = 93.1 +/- 22.2 vs 167.8 +/- 15.9 microliters/5 min; P < 0.001; SS-2: WUS = 0.1384 +/- 0.02 vs 0.2775 +/- 0.09 ml per 5 min; LSG = 97.7 +/- 20.2 vs 182.8 +/- 17.9 microliters per 5 min; P < 0.001]. These results indicate a significant increase in labial salivary gland flow as well as whole salivary flow as stimulated by pilocarpine HCl in Sjögren's syndrome patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Rhodus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D010862:Pilocarpine